The Waco daily examiner. [volume] (Waco, Tex.) 187?-1888, 1887-12-29
CHRIST BEFORE PLATE,


The origin alplciure Is one Oh
graudest paintings that has been
given to the world in modern times
/, covers about twenty by thirty feet
of canvas. the figures all being lite
size Everybody is familiar with the
story. The scene i early morning in
tile uru'orlum or oiiioisl residence OF
the kom.u governor st Jerusalem
.rne pic.ure i, drawn from descrip
tiou- IL the New Testament OF the
sppearance and trial OF Christ
not1re Plate 1t j. there re-
,stcd that when he was accused
of the priests aud elders, he answered
nothing" "Aud Plate answered and
said again unto them: w hat will ye
that shall do unto him whom ye call
King of the Jews: aud they cried ont
again, cruelty him" In the centre Of
the picture is the figure of the
SAVIOUR, with his hsnds bound. erect,
composed, gazing -teadtsstly on the
face of Plate Around all / behind
nim crowd the rabble of Jerusalem,
-ome frantic, others attracted by Idle
curiosity, others apparently bent
merely on kiiliug time. La the imme'
diate foreground is y Roman soldier
holdiup the mob i'm check with the
Mt of hi.snr4r. pontius PLATE sits
a- thc renre.entAtiye of C,e ar on the
indUment throne Us i, medi ating
nnd is greatly perpIcXod. He kuows
pothlu1 AGAINST Christ. bus dsre not
rp.ist the claruor Of the people. GA
,he rioDt of PLATE. stands Caiaphas,
.bp chief accuser of Christ, with hi
arm extended toward tue excited
poDulsce. The figure pressing tor
ward in the crowd with uplitted arms
i. ruili4p of the lowest type. lie is
,hontlng "CruciW Him! Cruelty
Iimp ON the left of Plate sit two
elders watchiuo the proceedings
vim deen interest Between Christ
.nd Caiaphss. sitting on a bench. j. a
rich bantcr looking on with con
to,nntnous curiosity. Near him ia a
vouug rowdv. lenulup over the rail,
mo aud scotIiuv iu tho face of Jesus.
prrchcd ON n high stool by the side of
mo ind oment seat and resting his head
auainst thc wall is scrib who views
,he scene with an air of weary indif
ference A Knot of Old men Is seated
in an anole OF the room to the lett of
tho henEer. They are apparently ar
.,uinp Chrisps claim that he is the
.nrouIi.rd Messiah. Cousplcuouslv
raisnd above the hcads of the crowd
3 snnn a yo,ln0 mother with a beau i
mi face holding a child in her arms.
and lnokiuU AT Jesus with tenderness
.,,4co,n,o-.iou Vbrouoh tha whole
picture are groups of figures and faces
rnAactiuo the different emotions ,hat
animate ouch individual
inns picture has been on exhibition
in the principal cities of Europe and
isnow being exhibited in America.
1t ha. been viewed bv millions of peo
nile and has created more sensation
throughout the entire civilized world
rhsn any other pointing ever produC
ed. In the city of New York it was
on exhibition several months and was
seen by hundreds of thousands of peo
pie. 1t was recently sold to John
Wanuamaker, OF Philadelphia, for
$4,000 in cash.
Michael Won Munkscsy, the painter
of this wonderful picture, was born
Hugary. His parents died when he
was five wears old, aud a poor uncle
who TOOK charge of him apprenticed
him toa carpenter. Some students
at a college where he Was working
taught him TO read and write. Tie
took all especial interest in history
and poetry. His first ideas /oi
painting were obtained from a
portrait painter, who instructed
him in drawing aud also
in literature. He soon began
to give drawing lessons himself. His
first successful painting was that OF
the entire family of tailor, for which
he received coat in payment. a.
soon as he was able he went TO Wen
Ia snd studied in the museums. His
first artistic triumph was the LAS
Day of Man Condemned to Death,
and II establish I'D the universal fame
of the painter. 1t createl gresr
sensation at Paris and won MIN &
,no,Ial mia t,iotura yuoo folioUr M